The State Attorney General and Cuyahoga County prosecutor announced Wednesday that corruption charges have been filed against Youngstownâ€™s Mayor, Mahoning Countyâ€™s auditor and a former candidate for county prosecutor.

At a news conference in Cleveland, State Attorney General Mike DeWine read from a long list of charges, including racketeering, against Youngstown Mayor John McNally.

“One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, which is a felony of the first degree; two counts of conspiracy, felonies of the second degree; two counts of bribery, felonies of the third degree,” DeWine said.

In all, McNally faces 25 felony counts and 9 misdemeanor charges, stemming from his time as a Mahoning County commissioner.

Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino faces a similar slew of charges. They are all connected to the countyâ€™s purchase eight years ago of the Oakhill Renaissance Place property, which now houses county offices.

“Itâ€™s never a happy day when we have to announce corruption charges involving public officials,” DeWine added.

The charges are the result of a Cuyahoga County grand jury investigation, and similar to charges first brought in 2010, but later dropped. DeWine and others in his office were brought in as â€œspecial prosecutors.â€

Sciortino, the auditor, is alleged to have committed crimes while in his current office. His case is being referred to the state Supreme Court, which could remove him from his position pending the results of the case.

DeWine says the investigation is ongoing, and he left open the possibility that more charges could be filed.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/05/15/youngstown-mayor-indicted-on-25-felony-charges/feed/0corruption,government,Mike DeWine,northeast Ohio,ohio,youngstownThe State Attorney General and Cuyahoga County prosecutor say corruption charges have been filed against Youngstownâ€™s Mayor, Mahoning Countyâ€™s auditor and a former candidate for county prosecutor.The State Attorney General and Cuyahoga County prosecutor say corruption charges have been filed against Youngstownâ€™s Mayor, Mahoning Countyâ€™s auditor and a former candidate for county prosecutor.WOSU Newsno1:36Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Gets 28 Years In Prisonhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/01/former-cuyahoga-county-commissioner-gets-28-years-in-prison/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/01/former-cuyahoga-county-commissioner-gets-28-years-in-prison/#commentsWed, 01 Aug 2012 11:30:32 +0000Mark Uryckihttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=32945

Jimmy Dimora was convicted of racketeering, bribery and other counts. His trial capped an investigation that led to more than 50 convictions involving county officials, employees and contractors who traded bribes for government jobs and contracts.

A former Ohio county commissioner convicted in a wide-ranging federal public corruption case was sentenced Tuesday to 28 years in prison.

Ex-Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora denied any wrongdoing in a statement before he was sentenced. Tearful, Dimora said everything he did was for the good of Cuyahoga County taxpayers.

The 57-year-old Dimora, also a former Democratic Party chairman in Cleveland, was convicted of racketeering, bribery and other counts. His trial capped an investigation that led to more than 50 convictions involving county officials, employees and contractors who traded bribes for government jobs and contracts.

The investigation helped fuel a referendum that replaced the three-commissioner county government in Cleveland with a county executive and elected council.

Akron federal Judge Sara Lioi sentenced Dimora after a hearing that began Monday.

Prosecutors had asked for more than 22 years behind bars.

Attorneys for Dimora asked for leniency because of his poor health and similar corruption cases that brought sentences of just a few years. Friends, neighbors and relatives of Dimora also testified on his behalf.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2012/08/01/former-cuyahoga-county-commissioner-gets-28-years-in-prison/feed/0corruption,cuyahoga country,jimmy dimora,prisonJimmy Dimora was convicted of racketeering, bribery and other counts. His trial capped an investigation that led to more than 50 convictions involving county officials, employees and contractors who traded bribes for government jobs and contracts.Jimmy Dimora was convicted of racketeering, bribery and other counts. His trial capped an investigation that led to more than 50 convictions involving county officials, employees and contractors who traded bribes for government jobs and contracts.WOSU Newsno3:32Candidates for Ohio Attorney General Spar over Corruptionhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/08/20/candidates-for-ohio-attorney-general-spar-over-corruption/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/08/20/candidates-for-ohio-attorney-general-spar-over-corruption/#commentsWed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000Karen Kaslerhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/08/20/candidates-for-ohio-attorney-general-spar-over-corruption/The GOP candidate for Ohio Attorney General is proposing a new commission to deal with corruption. His opponent says the idea is just more bureaucracy.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/08/20/candidates-for-ohio-attorney-general-spar-over-corruption/feed/0attorney,corruptionThe GOP candidate for Ohio Attorney General is proposing a new commission to deal with corruption. His opponent says the idea is just more bureaucracy.The GOP candidate for Ohio Attorney General is proposing a new commission to deal with corruption. His opponent says the idea is just more bureaucracy.WOSU Newsno3:30Strickland: Cleveland Probe is Distrubinghttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/29/strickland-cleveland-probe-is-distrubing/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/29/strickland-cleveland-probe-is-distrubing/#commentsTue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000Karen Kaslerhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/29/strickland-cleveland-probe-is-distrubing/Cuyahoga County's top elected official haspledged cooperation with a federal investigation into alleged public corruption in Ohio's most populous county.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2008/07/29/strickland-cleveland-probe-is-distrubing/feed/0cleveland,corruption,probeCuyahoga County's top elected official haspledged cooperation with a federal investigation into alleged public corruption in Ohio's most populous county.Cuyahoga County's top elected official haspledged cooperation with a federal investigation into alleged public corruption in Ohio's most populous county.WOSU Newsno1:50Ney Remains Popular Despite Investigationhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2006/01/06/ney-remains-popular-despite-investigation/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2006/01/06/ney-remains-popular-despite-investigation/#commentsFri, 06 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2006/01/06/ney-remains-popular-despite-investigation/Lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Tuesday pleaded guilty to trying to bribe Ohio Congressman Bob Ney with, among other things, a trip to Scotland. Also on Tuesday the head of the state Democratic Party called on Ney to resign his committee chairmanship. In spite of growing negative publicity, WOSU's Sam Hendren reports Ney remains popular in his eastern Ohio district.

]]>Lobbyist Jack Abramoff on Tuesday pleaded guilty to trying to bribe Ohio Congressman Bob Ney with, among other things, a trip to Scotland. Also on Tuesday the head of the state Democratic Party called on Ney to resign his committee chairmanship. In spite of growing negative publicity, WOSU’s Sam Hendren reports Ney remains popular in his eastern Ohio district.

Though the Jack Abramoff story is big news around the country, people in Bob Ney’s district don’t seem that concerned. Many local democratic leaders give Ney high marks for the work he does on behalf of his constituents. Mark Thomas is president of the Belmont County Commission.

“He has been able to associate himself with his constituents on a regular basis. He’s very visible. He’s very accessible. And I think there is a general ground swell of support until something major happens,” says Thomas.

Part of Ney’s popularity is due to the millions of federal dollars he’s brought to the district and to the state of Ohio. But he’s also broken ranks with the Republican Party at times to support coal miners and steel workers. According to Democratic State Senator Charles Wilson of Bridgeport, local voters will await the outcome of the Ney investigation.

“I don’t believe we should pass judgment until he’s had his day.’ I think we should wait and see when he has his day in court what he can say to defend himself,” says Wilson.

Earlier this week, however, the head of the state Democratic Party called on Ney to resign his House committee chairmanship. A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee condemned Ney as a leader of the Republicans’ culture of corruption. Sam Hendren, WOSU News.